Nowadays, when wine lovers talk about their ABCs, they don’t
mean the letters of the alphabet.
No, these ABCs are actually something of an SOS, a plea for a
flavorful, full-bodied, food-friendly red wine that’s Anything But Cabernet (aka Cabernet Sauvignon; the Sauvignon is silent).
It’s not that Cabernet Sauvignon, considered the king of red wines in
this country, has gone overnight from VIP to houseboy. It’s just that, well...
now there are a lot of other interesting and exciting red wines on the market.
And while they may not get nearly the hype of the king of reds, they should
be standard stock for anyone weary of Cabs that are as soft and flabby as a
bucket of Jell-O, or so overripe, overoaked, and overly alcoholic they leave
your taste buds feeling like they’re DOA.
So FYI, here are ten ABCs that will not only pique your palate, but will
also treat it with a little TLC.
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How can you not love a wine
named after a reputed UFO sighting (“The Flying
Cigar”) in the French town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Bonny Doon proprietor Randall Grahm may have
a wacky sense of humor, but the agent provocateur
of the California wine industry was letting
the air out of the tires of the Cabernet bandwagon
when most vintners were knocking each other
over in the rush to climb aboard.
Grahm’s wines have always been about finesse,
balance, and the ability to complement food.
And the most recent vintage of perhaps his
best-known wine is no exception. Think of
black cherries with a pinch of spice and an
earthiness that hints at fresh-brewed coffee.
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Say “Barbera” and many people
probably think of that rough, rustic red wine
they pounded down with pizza in some funky little
Italian caffè. That’s one Barbera. Then there’s
the Barbera made by a new breed of ambitious
Italian winemakers who are going in the same
high-end direction as the producers of the now-popular
Super-Tuscans.
No one will ever confuse this explosively
flavorful, well-structured wine with one
of those rough, rustic pizza reds. A sip is
like biting into a summer-ripe black cherry,
followed by haunting tones of oak and spice
and a slight tang from its mineral-rich soil.
It would still taste pretty good with pizza.
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Okay, there’s Cabernet Sauvignon
in this wine. Five percent. So sue me. This
complex, well-balanced, charming wine is very
much in the Bordeaux tradition. Proprietor Michel
Jean, whose family has owned the winery for
more than 200 years, isn’t much impressed with
the current fashion for highly alcoholic “fruit
bombs” that celebrate power and concentration
over subtlety and refinement.
“Wine is made to be drunk, not to allure
certain journalists,” he says. What allures
about Trimoulet’s current vintage are the
grace notes of flavor that lie just beneath
the surface of its elegant cherryberry fruit
— toast and black olives and tobacco. Drink
it and enjoy — and forget what the journalists
(myself excepted) say.
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According to some, Sangiovese
is supposed to mean the “blood of Jove,” Jove
being the Roman equivalent of Zeus, the temperamental
god who had the habit of hurling thunderbolts
at those who displeased him. The most widely
planted grape in Italy, it’s the base wine for
Chianti and the only wine allowed by law in
the celebrated Brunello di Montalcino.
Despite Sangiovese’s long and proud heritage
in Italy, when it’s produced domestically
it tends to be one-dimensional and fruity
enough to rile Jove up all over again. But
though this Napa Valley winery’s Sangiovese
is indisputably ripe, rich, and juicy, it
has just enough tannins and acidity to keep
it from becoming cloying. Even Jove would
approve.
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The major buzz in wine circles
these days concerns the gorgeous wines coming
out of Spain. And of Spain’s regions, the one
generating the most buzz is Priorat (about 100
miles southwest of Barcelona). Though blessed
with a centuries-old winemaking tradition, it
wasn’t until the 1990s when some prescient vintners
saw the potential of its hilly volcanic soil
that wines from the Priorat began to garner
international attention.
The Criança is a blend of Priorat’s two chief
grapes, Grenache and Carignane, whose beguiling
aromas alone make the wine irresistible. But
it’s in your mouth where plums, cherries,
cinnamon, and cedar all roll around in a delicious
tangle that brings the buzz to life.
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Cabernet Sauvignon may be
considered the king of reds in this country,
but in Italy many believe Barolo should wear
the crown. It is made from the Nebbiolo grape,
a varietal native to (and still dominant in)
the Piedmont region, and one so highly regarded
that in the 15th century, anyone who destroyed
Nebbiolo vines would have their right hand lopped
off as a punishment for the crime.
The 2000 Boroli displays all the rich, brooding,
fruit-driven potency characteristic of Nebbiolo
and particularly of modern styles of Barolo,
but is saved from simple, fruity stupidity
by high acid, firm tannins, and a range of
subtly nuanced flavors. But if you’re around
the vineyard, just don’t touch the vines.
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Yes, it’s Cabernet. No, it’s
not Cabernet Sauvignon. And did I mention it’s
from that world-famous wine-producing region
of Long Island, New York? That’s no joke, and
neither is this exceptional wine. Former advertising
executive Bob Palmer released his first wines
nearly 20 years ago, and they’re largely responsible
for the growing reputation of Long Island as
a source of fine wine.
Cabernet Franc is typically blended with
Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals to
make a “Bordeaux style” wine. But in Palmer’s
hands it displays a more assertive and unique
character — concentrated blackberry and black-cherry
fruit with hints of licorice and earth and
a pronounced herbaceousness.
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The Carmenere grape is truly
an up-andcoming player. Planted extensively
in France in the 1700s, Carmenere vines made
their way to Chile about that time. It was originally
thought to be Merlot, but in the 1990s, DNA
dating revealed its true identity. Since then
it’s become something of the national grape
of Chile.
This is not a wine for the faint of palate.
It’s big and as meaty as a slab of rare steak.
Its layer upon layer of flavors, currants
and cassis, dust and chocolate, cloves and
violets, are intriguing.
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Although western Paso Robles
is a long way from France’s Rhone Valley, its
soils and climactic diversity are very similar.
Which was exactly what Tablas Creek’s French
and American owners were looking for when they
set out to produce Châteauneuf-du-Pape–style
wines in the U.S. in 1987.
That they succeeded admirably in melding
the best of France and California is evident
in this latest vintage of “Côtes de Tablas,”
a play on the French appellation Côtesdu-
Rhone. Made up mostly of Grenache and Syrah,
with lesser amounts of Mourvedre and Counoise,
it combines lush raspberry and strawberry
fruit with spice and smoke in one suave yet
hearty package.
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How intimidating is that for
a name? Actually, it’s as easy to write about
this bright, refreshing, hugely enjoyable wine
as it is to drink it. Writer’s Block is one
of several labels produced under the aegis of
Jed Steele, one of the most respected winemakers
in the country, who operates far from the rustic
glitz of the Napa Valley in rural Lake County.
Grenache is rarely bottled on its own in
California, which seems a pity after tasting
Steele’s version. It’s an intoxicatingly aromatic
wine, alive with scents of cherries, cloves,
and licorice. Add toasty, mineral flavors
and the only thing scary is that the bottle
will soon be empty.
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BILL CITARA,
a contributing
editor of US Airways Magazine, is the former
wine critic for the San Francisco Examiner.
Now residing in Key West, he is a restaurant critic
for the Miami New Times.
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